The Taste of Peppermint
by Sam F Parker
Summary: Hermione is having a hard time feeling the holiday spirit, but a little magic (and a certain Malfoy) may be the answer she didn't think to look for. (PG-13)
1. Chapter 1

Hermione cupped her mug of spiced cider close to her and breathed in the scent of cloves and cinnamon. The great hall was full of sparkling lights, ornament drenched swags, and floating candles surrounding the towering Christmas trees. It was as Christmas-y as you could get and really was lovely. It just wasn't enough to distract Hermione from gloomier thoughts.

She missed her parents, for whom she had not yet perfected her spell to reverse her memory charm. On a closer front, she had fallen into the same bickering with Ron and, by extension, Harry. She had hid in the great hall just to avoid another bout of raised voices. It just felt so much harder to find the magic in Christmas this year.

Across the room, Malfoy was sitting in a corner with his own mug, chasing pieces of a mince pie around his plate. Hermione couldn't help but smile a little at the sight. She gathered her own things and walked across the hall to plunk down her things across from him. He looked up with a blank look on his face and surveyed her.

"Where are your other two heads?"

"Did you get anything for Christmas?" she asked.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Careful, Granger. You're implying that you think I wouldn't get anything."

"Well?" she pressed. She knew he knew she knew he had.

He looked up from his pie, face still stoic. "It was rather clever. Though," -he tapped his fork against his lips- "I admit I was rather pissed when I opened it."

"Well?" She leaned forward, feeling a little anxious. "Did it work?"

He pulled up his robe sleeve so that she could see the diamond cufflinks sparkle in the candlelight.

She grinned in delight. "It did!" She grabbed his shirt cuff and angled the cuffs to and fro to catch the light. She couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her.

He tugged his sleeve from her grip and frowned at her. "You mean you sent me a present you weren't sure was going to transform from coal?"

"I tried it on a very tiny amount of coal and it seemed to work but it was too much work and magic to do any more of a test."

"So it was possible you were going to send me coal for Christmas?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop pouting."

Malfoy shook his head and looked down at his pie again. "Thanks."

Hermione tilted her head.

"For the present, I mean" -he went back to stabbing at his pie with a fork- "and the note."

Hermione smiled. "You know I meant it. All of this has already started to change you into a better person."

They were silent for a while as Malfoy finished off his pie.

When he was finished, he set his fork down and looked up to meet her eyes. "Why do you care?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "You'll have to be more specific."

"Why are you talking to me after all that has happened?"

She looked down, playing with one of the ribbons decorating the table. "I had had enough of hate."

At his silence she looked up to his face. He just watched her, waiting.

She shrugged. "We're friends now. I talk to you because I want to talk to you."

"You've always had a thing for lost causes," he sighed, sitting farther back on the bench.

"And you've always been a moody idiot," she returned. "Why can't I have just decided that I like you?"

"Because things are never that simple" -he folded his arms- "and I don't like being pitied."

Hermione threw up her hands. "I just wanted a friend and after this year I thought we had actually become that!" She swung her foot over the bench and grabbed her book. "I thought because of everything we both went through, you understood." She reached across the table and poked his arm because she couldn't reach his chest. "Instead, you think I've been pitying you?" She stomped off, only wiping her eyes when she was far enough away from Malfoy that she didn't think he'd notice.

She spent the rest of Christmas hiding in one of the towers, watching some of her fellow classmates playing in the snow, or reading her book. Her right arm sometimes ached with the cold weather, even when she was warm inside. She rubbed her wrist and tried not to feel pity for herself.

"Why do I always care for guys who will just hurt me in the end?" She whispered to the frosted window, resting her forehead against the icy glass.

When it was time for Christmas dinner, Hermione walked down several magical staircases to join the rest of the school in the great hall. She sat with the Gryffindors but looked across the table towards Malfoy. He was off a little from his classmates and was staring in her direction. After a few moments he didn't drop his eyes and so Hermione shifted her own gaze away again. Did he hate her now? She couldn't keep up with either of her boys' shifting moods. Ron and Harry were acting like nothing had ever happened.

"So, Mione, you think it's a good present right, the book?" Ron asked in between mouthfuls.

"Oh yes. In fact, it's so good I'm saving it to re-gift to you on your birthday," she said primly as she carefully filled her spoon with soup.

"What? Now I'm dying to know what book you got her, Ron!" Ginny chortled. "What blunder-headed miss-step did you make this time?"

"He gave me a dieting cookbook." Hermione glared at Ron.

He guffawed. "Hilarious, isn't it?"

"It will be when she gives it back to you," Ginny returned.

At the end of dinner, Hermione left with her friends towards the Gryffindor tower. However, outside the entrance, Malfoy was waiting underneath one of the trees. He was staring her down again. Hermione straightened and returned his look with a frown.

As her group continued closer, he kept his eye contact but did nothing else and she was beginning to think he wouldn't do anything when he stepped forward and grabbed her hand. She stopped but she had been at the back of her group and no one noticed.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her head and stared him down, waiting for what he was going say. He looked around and growled at her, "Come with me."

He turned and pulled her along by her arm. Hermione didn't try to shake off his hand but didn't let him push her into anything more than a sedate walk.

Once they were in a more secluded area, Malfoy stopped and turned back to her, his hand still gripping hers as if he was worried she would run. The hallway was mostly dark, but the moonlight was reflected off of the snow outside and onto one side of his face. He opened his mouth, grimaced, and then fished around in his robes. He pulled out a small green package tied with silver ribbons and, turning her palm upwards, nestled the packaged in her hand.

She looked down at it and then up at his impatient face. When he released her hand, she carefully unwrapped the gift. Malfoy shifted from one foot to the other. Underneath the paper, there was a velvety red box that popped open to reveal two gold sphinx earrings. One flicked its tail and the other stretched out its wings.

Hermione blinked down at the earrings. She wasn't much of a jewelry person herself but she could appreciate these. "They are a lovely bit of magic," she said out loud, using her fingertip to stroke the back of one gently.

"I didn't do that part," he answered, his voice low and raspy.

She looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"I… they're like an owl but can carry a short verbal message."

Hermione raised the other eyebrow, impressed.

He plucked one of the earrings from her box and whispered to the sphinx. It crawled along his finger and then jumped off, wings catching the smallest amount of moonlight as they flapped. It swooped along past her face and she felt its tiny claws catch on her earlobe. They were hard enough for her to expect it to hurt, but not sharp enough to pierce her skin. Then she heard it. A whisper that sounded just like Malfoy.

"Tell Granger I'm glad she is my friend. I don't deserve her"

She couldn't help the smile that broke out across her face, even though it pulled out the sadder emotions she had felt earlier that day too. She could feel her tears gather in her eyes even as she felt a rush of relief. She looked up into his face, still so intent on hers, a slight smile echoing her own.

"Me too," she whispered back, loud enough he could hear it without the sphinx. "I'm glad you are my friend."

A real, albeit small, smile pulled his lips up and he took another step forward, picking up the back from the earring and catching the sphinx still perched on her ear. His fingers, just a little rough from potions duties, slid along the outside of her ear as worked to secure the earring. Hermione tried to stop the quick breath at the tingle that shot down from her ear to her stomach. Then he picked up the other earring and bent down to do the same on her other ear. His attention was caught in avoiding getting her hair tangled in the earring but Hermione had to deal with his jawline and exposed neck right in her face. She could smell the Christmas-y scent of pines and the underlying earthy tones of his hair. She swallowed hard and gripped hard onto the box.

He straightened and admired the earrings now in her ears, his fingers curled around the back of her neck.

"So you did that last bit of magic? Getting it to send a message?" she asked, trying not to sound breathless.

"In case you are ever without your wand. I know how much that worries you." His hand slid forward until he cupped the side of her cheek with his palm

Hermione gulped again and cupped his hand with hers. She smiled and squeezed his hand hard. "That was really thoughtful. I will treasure them."

She reached up to finger her other earring as she felt it twitch. As she did, Malfoy's hands slid backwards to dig into her hair and he backed her up against the wall next to the window. Her hand already holding onto one of his tightened its grip but the other was left hanging awkwardly between them.

As Malfoy leaned even closer, she could smell the mint on his breath. Had he really thought that far in advance? Did it matter? He paused just a little before her lips and she knew he was waiting for her to close the gap. She could feel his breath brushing against her face, tickling curls along her jaw. Without thinking, her free hand wound up to press against the base of his head. They hung there, sharing breaths, as Hermione panicked. Did she want to kiss him? Of course she did! Should she kiss him? That was the question. Should she really start something so soon after everything else? After Ron?

She pulled her eyes from his thin, pale lips, and into his grey eyes. His eyes flicked from her mouth, to the rapid rise and fall of her chest, and then up to her eyes. There they locked with hers. Looking into his face, she was reminded of what he had just said. _I don't deserve her._

He started to pull away a little, tilting his eyes so she couldn't see them. Hermione grabbed the back of his head and pulled it down towards her mouth. She stopped short of an actual kiss, afraid of slamming their teeth together, but Malfoy took care of that.

He pulled her up so she was on her tiptoes and immediately took her lip in his. It wasn't a gentle kiss. Their mouths came together hard and almost painfully the first time. His hands were cold and solid against her neck but his mouth was warm and firm. His lips tasted like peppermint and were just a tiny bit sticky with sugar. Her lips tingled each time he brushed them with his. Then she felt a sharp tug as he pulled at her bottom lip with his teeth. She gasped and opened her eyes. He did it again and she grabbed at his hair but her fingers scraped along his buzzed neckline. He groaned and tried to pull her closer but she had just heard someone else coming down the hallway.

"Malfoy," she said, but it came out slurred against his mouth. She moved to push his chest away from her and their lips separated. She cupped his chin with her hands as he panted and swallowed. He then opened his eyes as the students she had heard brushed by them.

He looked down just as she bit her lip. As his eyes flicked from her face to her lips again, she tried to stop worrying her lip. "I don't think I can handle anymore without it getting out of control," she whispered.

He rubbed her lip with his thumb, pulling it out from underneath her teeth. "You're right," he muttered. "Like always."

Hermione smiled, her lips stretching underneath his hand. "I am glad I was right about this." She motioned a little between the two of them.

Another group of students passed them along the hallway. "Want to go back to the great hall for some cider?" Hermione asked. "It appears it's emptying out now."

As they walked back, Malfoy adjusted her scarf, tucking it under her hair and pulling the edges straight. She tugged his shirt collar down over his tie and began to fuss with it a little more when he captured her hand in his. Then he pulled it down to hide both their hands inside his robe pocket. Just the thrill of their fingers brushing against each other's was enough to bring another smile to her face.

She had never experienced this sort of magic during Christmas before but she found she was happy to let it replace the usual sort this year.

* * *

Merry Christmas guys! I know this is a bit late, but better late than never? Maybe? Anyways, I will be writing a sequel of sorts for New Years and be posting it over at Wattpad and you'll get to see my coverart for this! :) My penname over there is Rushstarfire. Hope to see you there! And, as always, I would love to hear anything you have to say about this!

This is my first time writing a kiss scene so I especially would love some feedback on that part. ;P

Hope you are all enjoying your holidays :) xxxCR


	2. Chapter 2

She had him against one of the library's alcoves, one knee hitched up next to his hip and her fingers pressed against the window to frame his head. He brushed a kiss on her lips, so light she barely felt it. He did it again, still too light, teasing her with the scent of peppermint. Making a small growl, she followed him as he pulled away, pressing against his mouth until his head gently thudded against the window. She started to pull back but he grabbed her hips and held her. Her fingers were starting to chill from the glass and so she wrapped them around the back of his head, running her fingers along his silky hair and warm skin. She pulled his head down for an easier angle to kiss and he dug his fingers into her hips to pull her closer. She was completely lost in him when it was interrupted by someone's voice behind her.

"Slumming, are we, Hermione?"

Hermione jerked and pushed off of Malfoy's chest to try to catch a view of who it was as they disappeared along the bookshelves. All she caught was their gold and red scarf.

She turned back to Malfoy to see his half-lidded eyes flick from the retreating intruder and back to her. His hands were a little tenser against her, squeezing harder.

She leaned down and kissed him again, a little chaster than their previous kiss, just focusing on trying to poor her affection through the contact that felt like champagne bubbling against her lips. He responded almost immediately and she pulled away.

"We need to do something about that," she said.

"And what is that?" he said, not opening his eyes, but resting the back of his head against the window.

"We've got something that that Gryffindor is missing. And probably a lot of your Slytherins too."

Malfoy opened his eyes and smirked. "A good snogging partner?" He pulled at the back of her other leg until she was sitting on his lap.

Hermione rolled her eyes and tapped his nose gently. "Forgiveness. Being freed from the burden of guilt and anger. It's weighing us all down."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a lofty goal, even for you, Granger."

She shook her head. "They just need a little push."

He leaned in to kiss her again, but Hermione had already started sliding off of him towards the floor.

"Come on, Malfoy. We've got planning to do."

* * *

It's up! I've posted the whole chapter over at Wattpad! Just go to wattpad dot com / story/58045079

Hope you guys had a great New Years and it's been fun to hear from you! I'd love to hear what you think of this installment :)

a fan: Thank you! I've posted another chaper ;) I agree, they make a cute couple!

Guest: Thank you, lovely! It's very flattering to hear. Have a happy New Years!


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